Automatic burglar and fire alarm



Jan. 9', "1951 E. R. MOUNTSTEPHEN' 2,537,599

AUTOMATIC BURGLAR AND FIRE ALARM 4 Filed Nov. 15, 1947 V 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Y Inventor EOREO flBJQ W MOUNI'ST'EPHEN Attorney Jan. 9, 1951 E. R, MOUNTSTEPHEN 2,537,599

AUTOMATIC BURGLAR AND FIRE ALARM- Filed Nov. 15, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lnven r 01250 MaJoH/v momvrsr-ggnv A ttorney Patented Jan. 9, 1951 I.

UN I TED =5 TAT-ES FATE N T OFF 1 CE 7 -'2',537,599 KUTGMATIC'BURGIJAR FIRE KIIA'RM "Edrd Rabi 01in Mountstephen;LoridonfEngland Application November 15, 1947,; Serial; N o.=786,291

, In-'Great BritaimSeptember 3, 1946 7 Section 1; P1ib1ic Law 69'0, Ai'ig'u'st 8, 1946 l Patent-expires September-3,1966

r olaims. -1

' This invention relates'to automatic burglar: and

fire alarms ofthe kind comprising a gramophone or'like sound reproducing device adapted to be operatively' connected with'a telephone and asso- -''ciated with -means "automatically to establ sh 1 "communication with a po'lice; fire, or otherstation' and to transmit a suitable message to said station upon the occurrence of a burglary or fire.

ln prior United' states Patent 2,161,525, is described an alarm of this character in which the unauthorised opening of'a door, window, safe or the like or the operation of' a thermostat-due to an abnormal rise in temperature, operates 1 an electro-magnet which releases trip mechanism whereby' 'means are-set into operation toestablish a connection-b'etweenthe alarm device and the telephone system and to'start the .gramophone motor.

The grainophone motor, upon being started, -operates mechanism which successively di-al an emergency signal toestablishpommunication with the appropriate station,'"lowers the "sound box on'to asound reproduc'irig-record-to produce the message or alarm to be transmitted, returns the soun'd box to the commencement of "the-recordto repeat the message and finally dis- -conn'ectsthe devicefr'om the telephone system.

= In" the prior arrangement the dial operating --mechani's'm comprises a rotating cam member, --driven continuously by =thewgramophone motor, and lever mechanism actuated by'said cam'tolift the dial in a vertical plane to bring a pin orpins mounted on the rotary facethe'reof-into the: path necting the dial lifting lever immediately after the dialling operation-is; completed in order to ensure that the dialling of theemergency signal is not repeated when the continuously rotating operating cam returns again to its operative-position. It has been found, however, that in certain circumstances, it may-be desirable to provide for repetitionofthe dialling operation and-the ebject of the present invention isto provide-means whereby the alarm-devicecan-be set forrepeating the dialling operation ornot, as circumstances demand, after the first or-eachtransmissionof the alarm message hasbeen completed.

-Inorder to enable the device to be seteither for repeating the; dialling operation or forr'preventing such repetition, 'the alarm apparatusis provided, as in the aforesaid prior construction, 'with'means for disconnecting-the dial-operating mechanism a-i-tentheinitial diallingoperation but -in 'acc0rdance with the present inventionisuch "means are constructed and arranged so as to' be capable ofb'eing set in'the operative or inoperative' position as desired.

In order that the invention may be more clearly understood one particular embodiment tion of the arrow II in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a section, on .a somewhat enlarged scale, on the'line IHIIIiof Figure '2 "with the parts shown in operative'position, and

i Figure 4 is a similar View with theparts shown in inoperative position.

Ref erring to these drawings the. alarm device shown is of the kind having a self-contained transmission'unit, generally designated A,"which is drivenby the gramophone motor and which in turn drives the dialling mechanism, generally designated B, and sound box lifting and lowering mechanism, generally designated C,the alarm device being set into operation upon the unauthorised opening of a doorfw-indo'w or thalik'e or by an abnormal rise in temperature b'y 'the -mechanism..generally designated D. Thenansmission mechanism 'A,- the sound box lifting and lowering mechanism C and the mechanism-D for setting-the alarm into operationareof the same construction and operate inflthe same manner as in the aforesaid prior United States T Patent 2,161,525.

The dialling mechanism, generally designated B, comprises an annularrack 5 rigidly mounted on aspindle' 6 mounted in suitable bearingsin' a supporting bracket I. On the lower end of the spindle Bis mounted a radialarm 8. The annular rack' 5 is arranged concentrically above a standard telephone dial 9' and is driven continuously by a pinion l0 mounted on a driven shaft ll of the transmission unit A, sothat the radial arm 8 is caused to rotate'continuously around the face ofthe dial 9.

The dial 9 is mounted on one end of an arm-or plate l2 which is pivoted at I3 to the base plate I4 ofthe machine in such a manneras topiv'ot in a vertical plane whereby said dial 9 can be raised to bring upstanding lugs 1-5 and "16 mountedthereon into the path of the continuously rotating arm 8.

' The dial'9 is raisedand lowered' as desireddby ates a lever l9 which is pivoted at 2|) and which in turn operates a rockable lever 2| pivoted at 22 and projects below a catch 23 pivotally mounted on a pin 24 secured to the vertically movable plate or arm l4, The catch 23 is normally held in position above the end of the rockable lever 2| by a tension spring 25. The pivoted lever 19 is provided with a vertical projection (not visible in the drawings) with which the cam l'l engages and said lever extends above the outer end of the rockable lever 2 l. g

In operation the transmission unit A rotates the cam ll and the radial arm 8, mounted above the dial 9, continuously as hereinbefore described. During its rotation the cam ll engages the vertical projection on the lever l9 and causes said lever to move about its pivot 20 and press downwards against the end of the rockable lever 2| which is thus caused to rock about its pivot 22 whereupon the opposite end of said rockable lever is moved upwards and, since it is positioned below the spring loaded catch 23 which is mounted on the plate is carrying the dial 9, lifts said dial and thus brings the lugs l and H5 into the path of the rotating radial arm 3 to dial the required emergency signal. In the particular construction illustrated, the apparatus is arranged to dial the number 71 which, for the sake of example,

is assumed to represent the emergency dialling signal, thus the lug i5 is located on the dial opposite the number 7 and the lug l6 opposite the number 1. The lug l5 projects vertically upwards to a height somewhat above that of the lug Hi and the cam I? is so shaped that it first operates to lift the dial 9 to the height at which the continuously rotating arm 8 will engage the lug l5, but not the lug l5, and hold the dial in that position until the number 7 has been dialled whereupon the cam raises the dial still further until the lug i5 is at a height at which it will be engaged by the rotating arm 8, the dial being held in this position until the number 1 has been dialled.

The radial arm 3 is angularly rotatable about the spindle 6 but is normally held against rotation on said spindle by a helical spring 8a, the tension of which is sufliciently strong to prevent the arm 8 from turning onthe spindle 3 under the pressure exerted. on it during the rotation of the dial. In operation the dial 9 is raised, as described above, to bring the lug it into the path of the rotating arm 8 which thus engages said lug and thereby rotates the dial until a pin l5c, adjacent the lug it, engages a stop 28 whereupon the pressure exerted on the arm' 8 causes it to turn angularly about the spindle 6, against the action of the spring ta, and thusslide past the lug l5 when the dial returns to its normal position. After the number 7 has thus been dialled the dial 9 is lifted still further by the cam I! to bring the lug l6 into the path of the rotating arm 8 whereupon the number 1 is dialled as described above until a pin 55a engages the stop 26 with result described above.

According to the present invention means are provided which can be selectively set or adjusted at will, either to prevent the dialling operation being repeated when the cam I? returns again to its normally operative position or to cause the dialling operation to be repeated between each transmission of the alarm message. Such means comprise a horizontal rod or shaft 27 axially slidable and rotatably adjustable in a U-bracket 28 and having a radially projecting arm 29 securely mounted thereon by means of a collar 30. Ar-- ranged on the rod or shaft 21 between the collar 3|] and one leg of the U-bracket 28 is a helical spring 3| which tends to move the rod or shaft 21 axially in the direction of the arrow 32. The said rod or shaft 21 is normally held against such axial movement by a pin 33 mounted on said rod or shaft and abutting against an axially slotted sleeve like member 34. This sleeve member is provided with axial slots of different lengths in which the pin 33 can slide whereby the rod or shaft 21 can be positioned at will in various axial positions. Mounted on the outer end of the rod or shaft 21 is a radial cranked contact arm 35 which abuts against the spring loaded catch 23.

If, when the alarm device is set for operation, it is desired to prevent repetition of the dialling operation the axially slidable rod 21 is positioned or adjusted as shown in Figure 3 with the radial arm 29 projecting inwardly in the path of a pin 35 mounted on a drivin pinion 31 keyed to the shaft l8 which also carries the cam The relative positions of the cam H and the pin 36 are such that the cam operates the dialling mechanism, as above described, before the pin 36 moves into contact with the radial arm 29. After the dialling operation has been completed the pin 36 engages the radial arm 29 and moves it into the position shown in dotted lines in Figure 3. This movement of the radial arm 29 causes rotation of the rotatable and axially slidable rod or shaft 2'! on which it is mounted. As said rod or shaft is rotated the pin 33 is moved in front of one of the slots in the slotted sleeve abutment 34 and slides into said slot whereby the rod or shaft 2] is displaced axially in the direction of the arrow 32 so that the cranked contact arm 35, mounted on the end of said rod 21, pivots the spring loaded catch 23 about its pivot 24 against the action of the spring 25 and out of contact with the end of the rockable lever 2| situated below it. The said lever 2| then moves under its own Weight into the position shown inbroken lines in Figure 2. This movement of the lever 2| causes the lever l9 also to fall under its own weight so that the vertical projection thereon is moved out of the path of the continuously rotating cam l1, thus when said cam again returns to its normally operative position it will not operate the lever mechanism l9, 2| and consequently no further dialling operation will take place.

If it is desired to ensure that the dialling operation shall be repeated periodically the arm 29 is moved outwards, that is into the position shown in Figure 4, whereby the cranked contact arm 35 is moved out of contact with the spring loaded catch 23, which is thus always held above the end of the rockable lever 2| by the action of the spring 25, and the radial arm 29 is positioned outside the path of the pin 36 so that the dial operating lever mechanism l9, 2| will always remain in its operative position and will be actuated each time the cam moves into its operative position. In this way the dialling operation will be periodically repeated.

It will be understood that when it is necessary or desirable to arrange for the dialling operation to be repeated, it is important to ensure that such repetition is efiected between successive transmissions of the alarm message without in terruption of the message and in accordance with the invention this is effected by so arranging the cam member and giving to the gearing by which it is driven such a ratio that the period. between each dialling operation-that is the period required for the cam to complete one revolutionis equal to or greater than that required for at least one complete transmission of the alarm message and that the period required for each dialling operation is equal to or less than the period between successive transmissions of the alarm messagein other words the arrangement is such that the transmission of the alarm message commences after the initial dialling operation and is completed before the operating cam returns to its operative position to cause the dialling operation to be repeated, and the complete dialling operation is eifected during the period that the tone arm of the gramophone is lifted off the record at the end of the recording and returned to the commencement of the record to repeat the message as described in the aforesaid prior specification.

What is claimed is:

1. An automatic alarm device of the type described and including means for successively connecting the alarm device with a telephone system, dialing an emergency signal to establish communication with an appropriate station of the telephone system and to transmit an alarm message to said station, all in response to the actuation of a supervising system, supervising a physical magnitude, in combination with adjustable control means for selectively rendering the alarm device inoperative for the purpose aforesaid upon completion of the first cycle of operations or maintaining the device operative for repeating the dialing operation at predetermined intervals, said control means including a control element movable into either one of the two positions and ccacting with said cam and lever arrangement so as to render said alarm device inoperative in one position and to maintain the same operative in the other position and selecting means for placing the control element in a selected one of said two positions.

2. An automatic alarm device of the type described and including a dialing mechanism for establishing an electric connection between the alarm device and an appropriate signal receiving station, means for transmitting an alarm message to said station over said connection, a cam and lever arrangement for operating said dialing mechanism for the purpose aforesaid, and supervising means responsive to a physical'magnitude for controlling said alarm device, in combination with control means movable into either one of two positions and arranged to render in one position the dialing mechanism inoperative for the purpose aforesaid upon completion of the initial dialing operation and to maintain in another position the dialing mechanism operative for repeated dialing operations upon each completion of the alarm message, and selecting means for placing the control means in a selected one of said positions.

3. An automatic alarm device as described in claim 2, wherein said control means comprise a rod mounted axially slidably and arranged to coact with said cam and lever arrangement so as to render said dialing mechanism inoperative for the purpose aforesaid in one axial position of the rod and to maintain the said mechanism operative in a different axial rod position, and wherein said selecting means are arranged to move said rod into a selected one of said axial positions.

4. An automatic alarm device as described in claim 2, wherein said control means comprise a rotatable rod mounted axially slidably in a predetermined rotational position, said rod being arranged to coact with said cam and lever arrangement so as to render said dialing mechanism inoperative for the purpose aforesaid in one axial position of the rod and to maintain the said mechanism operative in a different axial rod position, spring means urging said rod into the axial position for rendering the dialing mechanism inoperative, an arm secured to said rod and radially extending therefrom, a member arranged to rotate continuously when the alarm device is actuated by said supervising means, a dog protruding from said member and positioned to engage said arm upon setting the arm in a predetermined angular position for rotating the rod into said predetermined rotational position, thereby causing the spring means to slide the rod into the axial position for rendering the dialing mechanism inoperative while in another angular position of the arm the dog passes the arm.

5. An automatic alarm device as described in claim 4, in combination with a pin secured to the arm, and a stationary abutment arranged and positioned to be engaged by said pin for retaining the arm, against the action of said spring means, in its axial position for rendering the dialing mechanism inoperative and to release said pin upon rotationof the arm and the rod by the said dog.

6. An automatic alarm device as described in claim 2, wherein said dialing mechanism comprises a spring loaded movable catch member normally positioned to urge the dialing mechanism into a position operative for the purpose aforesaid, and wherein said control means comprise a rod mounted axially slidably, a contact member secured to one end of the rod and arranged to engage, in one axial position of the rod, said catch member and to move the same into a position for rendering the dialing mechanism inoperative for the purpose aforesaid and to be disengaged from the catch member in a different axial rod position, and wherein said selecting means are arranged to move the rod into a selected one of said axial positions.

. '7. An automatic alarm device as described in claim 6, wherein said rod is rotatably mounted and arranged to be axially slidable in a predetermined rotational position for sliding the rod into the axial position rendering the dialing mechanism inoperative, and wherein said selecting means comprise actuating means operatively connected with the rod for rotating the rod and the contact member thereon into a rotational position other than said predetermined rotational position, thereby maintaining the dialing mechanism operative for the purpose aforesaid.

EDRED RABJOHN MOUNTSTEPHEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,627,612 Luse May 10, 1927 2,161,525 Mountstephen June 6, 1939 2,191,971 Mountstephen Feb. 27, 1940 

